Media Statement by Liew Chin Tong in Parliament on Monday, 5^th April 2010:

NEM: whose child?

Is the New Economic Model a private venture that will eventually evaporate into thin air?

That seems to be the case in view of the parliamentary reply by Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop to my question late evening on Thursday 1st April 2010.

I asked Tan Sri Nor while he replied questions raised by MPs during the debate of the Motion of Thank to the Royal Address why wasn’t the New Economic Model and the Report by the National Economic Advisory Council be tabled in Parliament.

The Report by the NEAC was first made public at the Invest Malaysia Conference on last Tuesday 30th March 2010 at Shangri-la Hotel after the speech by the Prime Minister to the Conference. It was made available online subsequently.

However, up until this very moment, it has not been tabled in Parliament.

The NEM is touted by government propaganda as the most important policy initiative since the implementation of the New Economic Policy forty years ago.

It is only fair that it is debated in the parliament as it is the highest forum of the country supposedly representing all Malaysians.

To my surprise, Tan Sri Nor replied that

“Model Ekonomi Baru ...adalah sebuah dokumen yang disediakan bukan oleh kerajaan, oleh NEAC dan diserahkan kepada kerajaan. Jadi, tidak ada locus standi untuk kerajaan membentangkan laporan itu ke dalam Dewan...”

“Laporan itu bukan satu laporan kerajaan, bukan seperti Rancangan Malaysia Kesepuluh yang kita bawa ke Parlimen. Ini bukan laporan kerajaan.”

I am confused, as many Malaysians would.

The Malaysian public has been bombarded with news and comments relating to the New Economic Model for at least the past two weeks.

Suddenly, we were told that it is merely a view of private advisors not necessarily accepted by the Government. Something is very wrong here that the Government must address immediately.

* Liew Chin Tong, DAP International Secretary & MP for Bukit Bendera